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Jim; Your new posting of the " New Final Rule--VA Pension Program" should have everybody at attention. Myself have only read up to page 18 and already my head is spinning. I do plan to read it through. Just wanted to ask if the VA WATCHDOG will be publishing a more reader friendly version? The 100+ pages is hard to digest and walk away with how to apply it. Being 100% TDIU are they saying if a persons net worth is over $130 K benefits will be reduced? /s/ Concerned Veteran
My reply; The new VA Pension program & lookback is directed to pensions, not disability benefits. A pension benefit is a means (financial status) tested award for honorably discharged veterans who aren't eligible for service connected disability benefits, over age 65 and who are permanently and totally disabled. Pension eligible veterans must show income and assets that are below certain thresholds to be eligible for the benefit and the dollar amount of the benefit may scale to any income the veteran has. The yearly income requirement is pretty clear cut...an income below the poverty level in the veterans region is the usual standard. Then there are the real assets that many older veterans may possess such as real estate and some savings vehicles like IRAs, SSA benefits, stocks and bonds. In the past there have been certain creative methods used to bypass or soften the impact of some of the requirements that the veteran would have to let go of assets to qualify for pension. The new rule tightens up those requirements and
provides a "look-back" to review recent claims that may not be perfectly legit in the eyes of the VA. The new pension program and lookback won't have any effect on veterans disability benefits such as the TDIU rating. Veterans disability benefits are not means tested and are awarded only on the merits of the disabling conditions. You could win the Lotto or inherit your old Aunt Gertrude's millions and her mansion and her 7 cats and your TDIU benefit won't be affected. AND, thank you for the suggestion that I publish something at the VAWatchdog to clear up any mystery about this...I'll do that!
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Notice of Disagreement
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VHA Makes Progress in Improving Safety of Opioid Prescribing
VHA medical facilities should ensure that its providers are following three key opioid risk mitigation strategies, including conducting urine drug screening, a recent report recommended.
“Specifically, increasing the use of urine drug screening is an explicit goal of the Opioid Safety Initiative, and providers should generally ensure that an annual urine drug screening has been conducted,”
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Welcome to the Veterans Legal Help Navigator.
Marine veteran battles with Veterans Affairs over needed surgery
A veteran Marine finds himself in a fight with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Wilkie opposes bill that would extend Agent Orange
benefits to 'Blue Water' veterans
New Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie has come out against
extending benefits to veterans who served off the coast during the Vietnam War,
citing high costs and insufficient evidence that they were exposed to Agent Orange.
From the desk of Drew Early, Veterans Law Attorney
New Final Rule--VA Pension Program
VA is publishing this Final Rule. The rule will impose a three year lookback
period on transfers immediately prior to application, so will (in my view) make it
more difficult for aged veterans and spouses of average middle class asset posture
to become eligible for this benefit. Lots of similarities to means-testing
for Medicaid—Gov’t requiring a claimant to exhaust
hard-earned assets before becoming eligible for benefits. Sigh…
Frequently veterans will ask if we provide counseling services.
In response to this, Dr. Valette will be accepting a few veteran’s or family members for
Tele-Health personal counseling sessions. Phone, text, email sessions.
Daily availability to each veteran.
At this time, only available to veteran’s who live in Colorado, Texas, Florida, Washington, Iowa, S.Dakota, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii. Email for more info and pricing: Info@VeteransPsychEvaluations.com
Comcast gives Jacksonville veterans center computer lab,
low-cost online access to veterans nationwide
“You have stood up for our country. We believe it’s time for the rest of us to
stand up for you,” said David L. Cohen, Comcast senior executive vice president and
chief diversity officer, who noted that the company was founded by a World War II Navy
veteran. Comcast estimated there are at least 150,000 low-income veterans in Florida —
the most in the country — and more than 1 million in the company’s national service area.
About a third of low-income veterans do not have internet service at home and only about 60
percent own a computer, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey.
How to Use My HealtheVet
My HealtheVet is the VA's Personal Health Record.
It is designed for Veterans, Servicemembers, their caregivers and others. To use My HealtheVet, you will need a computer with Internet access...
Jobs For Veterans - Grow with Google
Free training, tools, and events to help you grow your skills, career, or business.
Supporting our military service members and their spouses
Explore tools and resources designed to help you transition from military to civilian life
Begin your job search
You can search “jobs for veterans” on Google and enter your Military Occupational
Specialty code (MOS, AFSC, NEC) to see relevant
civilian jobs that require similar skills to those used in your military roles.
Get Started
GROW WITH GOOGLE
Helping veterans make their next move in civilian life
Yes, you can sue the VA for medical malpractice.
Jim Strickland is a Vietnam era Army veteran and nationally recognized expert on VA disability benefits.
Jim's Mailbag is a regular column where veterans, servicemembers, and family members can ask Jim their questions about VA and Social Security disability benefits. You can browse all of these Q&As here, and search the Jim's Mailbag archives for helpful answers. If Jim hasn't already addressed the questions you have, you can submit your own question.
Back To School
College Guide for Veterans and Servicemembers
Deciding to Attend College after the Military
Blink XT Home Security Camera System
with Motion Detection, Wall Mount, HD Video, 2-Year Battery Life and Cloud Storage Included
Students using GI Bill receive incorrect housing payments due to VA technical errors
About 340,000 students attending school using the GI Bill received slightly smaller housing payments in August than they’re eligible for under federal law, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Boston's VA Adds Overdose-Reversing Naloxone To AED Cabinets
In December, the project will expand nationwide, as VA hospitals across
the country will add naloxone to their AED cabinets.
Has Your Claim Been Denied?
Do you need an IMO or a DBQ?
You'll need to speak with an expert physician and then a veterans law attorney. Why not speak
with both at the same time? Dr. Anaise is a physician, surgeon and veterans law attorney.
Dr. Anaise has been providing military veterans with disability benefits help for many years.
Speak with him today...it won't cost anything but a little of your time.
Five doctors out at Minneapolis VA over MiMedx improprieties
The details behind the Minneapolis doctors’ departures aren’t clear. The spokesman, Ralph Heussner, said the VA proposed terminating all five, but each opted to resign or retire. He confirmed that the proposed terminations involved issues with MiMedx products.
Veterans face challenges, but are needed in workforce
Workforce agencies recognize veterans as a highly attractive talent pool to help address a
significant labor shortage. Nonetheless, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, there
remain some misconceptions over hiring veterans upon return from military service.
Office of Child Support Enforcement
Income Withholding and Medical Support for Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
The Board of Veterans' Appeals
Legislation will help Pacific veterans
exposed to Agent Orange
How To Leak To ProPublica
Become a Freedom Fighter
Join the ACLU
VA starts domestic violence program
Department of Defense Extends
Shopping Privileges to Veterans
CIA Freedom of Information Act
Electronic Reading Room
Disability Compensation Benefits
C-123 Aircraft and
Agent Orange Exposure
DBQ's
TDIU Unemployability
MST
Presumptive Benefits
Special Monthly Compensation
(SMC)
Emory receives $29 million from Wounded Warrior Project
The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program has received a five-year, $29.2 million-dollar
grant from Wounded Warrior Project to further its work providing transformative care for
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain
injury (TBI),dd depression and anxiety. The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program
is one of four U.S. programs that are part of Wounded Warrior Project’s Warrior
Care Network, a first-of-its-kind treatment partnership that provides world class
mental health care to Veterans or servicemembers who served/deployed after 9/11.
Dental and vision benefit changes coming in 2019
On Dec. 31, 2018, the Defense Health Agency’s TRICARE Retiree Dental Program
(TRDP), administered by Delta Dental, will end. As directed in the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, however, individuals currently enrolled in or eligible for TRDP will have the opportunity to enroll in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) during the federal benefits open season from Nov. 12 to Dec. 10, 2018.
Education and Training
The end of military service marks the start of something new.
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Draft Report: Nearly All Whistleblower
Complaints About Manchester VA Were Unfounded
Complaints lodged by a dozen whistleblowers last year about the quality of care at the
Manchester VA had consequences. At least four VA leaders lost their jobs and the government
poured millions of dollars into improvements at the medical center. But in an internal draft VA report obtained by NHPR, investigators say nearly all of those complaints were unfounded.
VA faces healthcare staffing shortages, barriers to hiring facility leaders
A facility-specific survey found that 138 of 140 VA facilities reported shortages of medical officers,
with psychiatry and primary care positions being the most frequently listed.
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VA Disability - When the initial decision finds no "nexus"
What is the "nexus" and why is it important?
The Problem With The VA Isn’t Just The Agency — It’s Us
The common perception of the VA is that it is an irrevocably broken organization,
fundamentally unable to provide functional care for veterans. But based on my personal experience,
I believe the VA does a fantastic job taking care of veterans that seek the help they need.
The key words are “veterans” and “seek the help.”
Nothing new to see here folks, move along...
That's right...keep moving...just another budget hike so that the pig has enough lipstick
Veterans Affairs: Historical Budget Authority, FY1940 - FY2012
VA’s officials can take the agency to excellence
The VA budget grew from about $49 billion in 2001 to some $200 billion today
— clearly Congress has funded VA for success.
If there's one thing military members know, it's that when the Defense Department gives you too much money, it will come back for it eventually.The VA is similar, but the system is worse.
Office of Research & Development
Veterans and the criminal justice system
Dr. Andrea Finlay in Palo Alto is one of several VA researchers who are exploring trends
and characteristics related to Veterans who collide with the criminal justice system. More than
half of justice-involved Veterans have either mental health problems—namely PTSD, depression,
or high anxiety—or substance-abuse disorders, most notably alcohol or cocaine addiction.
According to Dr. Andrea Finlay, a large percentage of these Veterans are also homeless or
at-risk for homelessness, and many others face such challenges as finding work and
reintegrating into society. Plus, Veterans who collide with the criminal
justice system may be at higher risk for suicide.
43 years after the Vietnam war, many Navy veterans are still
battling for benefits for potential Agent Orange exposure
A bill making its way through Congress would extend benefits to cover blue-water veterans, who were stationed in ships off the Vietnamese coast. Early this month, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie sent a letter to lawmakers asking to stop the bill, saying its provisions are based on sympathy instead of science.
VA home based clinic under investigation
A federal investigation into allegations of patient neglect, fraudulent billing, falsification of medical records, misuse of government vehicles and other mismanagement practices is underway for the Veterans Affairs Home Based Primary Care Clinic based in Jennings.
Vietnam War veteran donates life-saving kidney to fellow US
airman after reuniting nearly 50 years later
Two Vietnam veterans who reunited nearly 50 years after
they served in the Air Force together now share more than war stories.
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
Denied Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Claims Related to Military Sexual Trauma
Net Worth, Asset Transfers, and Income Exclusions for Needs-Based Benefits
SUMMARY:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amends its regulations governing veterans'
eligibility for VA pensions and other needs-based benefit programs. The amended regulations
establish new requirements for evaluating net worth and asset transfers for pensions and
identify which medical expenses may be deducted from countable income for VA's needs-based
benefit programs. The amendments help to ensure the integrity of VA's needs-based benefit
programs and the consistent adjudication of pension and parents' dependency and indemnity compensation claims. Lastly, the amendments effectuate: Statutory changes for pension beneficiaries
who receive Medicaid-covered nursing home care; a statutory income exclusion for disabled
veterans; and longstanding statutory income exclusions for all VA needs-based benefits.
What Additional Benefits
Are YOU Eligible For?
VBA Derivative Benefits Eligibility
SSDI, LTD and WC
When you can't work, there are
three programs that can help.
TDIU??? Unemployability Questions??? IU????
I am a Veteran
Veterans of the United States Uniformed Services may be eligible for a broad range of programs and services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Oregon Prisons Were Ordered to Protect Veteran Benefits.
They Tried to Find a Loophole Instead.
Have You Received A RAMP Letter?
New VA appeals trial an opportunity for both veterans and the agency
It’s been a year since Congress first passed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act and gave the Veterans Benefits Administration an 18-month window to implement the new program. The agency has less than six months now to stand up a brand new appeals process for veterans, many of whom have longstanding claims and have been waiting on a decision for years.
Navy veterans who say they were exposed to
Agent Orange in Vietnam ask VA for benefits
A debate over the spread of Agent Orange, used as a tactical defoliant by the Americans during the Vietnam War, pits thousands of Navy veterans against the agency tasked with caring for them.
Veteran who was deported to Mexico returns home to the U.S.
“It’s outrageous that our country deports veterans who have served the country and sacrificed their lives,” Lai said. “But its important to see this in a broader context. Our immigration laws are harsh on many people, and the fact that veterans are also affected illustrates just how much more congressional leadership is needed to look hard at our immigration system.”
<robert.wilkie@va.gov>
Quality of medical care sharply declines at
Norman Veterans Center, spouses say
When John Wilson, Ron McClure and Jim Burleson joined the American Armed Services
as young men, they likely didn't think they'd have to advocate for quality health
care decades later. Now these men, residents of the Norman Veterans Center,
aren't receiving the level of care they were promised, according to their family members.
Senate passes sweeping opioids package
While addictions to opioids are declining, heroin overdose deaths are rising. That’s not because more people are using heroin, but because the drug is being laced with fentanyl - an incredibly potent, inexpensive and synthetic opioid. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that of the 72,000 overdose-related deaths in 2017, 30,000 were caused by synthetic opioids.
Your Health
VA researchers question whether traumatic
brain injuries lead to Alzheimer's
How one group of doctors drastically
decreased opioid prescriptions
Fibromyalgia: What you need to know
There’s even more evidence that one type of exercise is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug
My HealtheVet: Veteran care made easy
Federal agencies partner for military and
veteran pain management research
MRI twice as likely as biopsy to spot
prostate cancer, research shows
Veterans' Medical and Health Records
Prostate Specific Antigen PSA Total PSA Free PSA
Arkansas veteran continues his fight to fix Agent Orange
benefits loophole in Washington
A former Marine from Mena is working with lawmakers in Washington
on legislation that would allow veterans who served in Thailand
during the Vietnam War to qualify for benefits due to Agent Orange exposure.
How to Increase an Existing VA Disability Rating
The application process is pretty easy, you can DIY in no time.
We provide the "How To" details here.
Man accused of defiling flags in veterans cemetery faces charges
A Boston man is being charged by Somerville police with allegedly uprooting four American
flags installed at the Somerville Veterans Memorial Cemetery and urinating on them while
on a date, according to court records. Michael C. Lacey is facing three charges:
defacement of an American veteran’s grave marker, open and gross lewdness, and
disturbing the peace for his alleged actions Sept. 10 at the memorial, according to court records.
New VA secretary 'sucker punches' Vietnam Navy veterans
Sucker-punched, blind-sided and betrayed.
Vietnam War Navy veterans claim the new head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, stabbed them in the back by promising to meet with them and instead, fired off a letter trying to kill a bill that grants them Agent Orange benefits.Wilkie sent a letter to Sen. Johnny Isakson (R)-Georgia claiming, "science does not support extending Agent Orange benefits to Blue Water Navy veterans."
VA exceeds goals for delivering appeals decisions on disability claims
The Veterans Affairs Department said it has surpassed its goal this year of
delivering more than 81,000 appeals decisions on claims for disability benefits
and services. In doing so, VA said it delivered 28,000 more appeals
decisions in fiscal 2018 than in fiscal 2017, a 52 percent increase.
855-948-2311
VA Form 21-526EZ
Use For...
Disability Service Connection
Secondary Service Connection
Increased
Disability Compensation
Temporary Total Disability Rating
Individual Unemployability
Compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151
Special Monthly Compensation
Special Home Adaptation
Automobile Allowance
/Adaptive Equipment
Benefits Based on a Veteran's
Seriously Disabled Child
What Is a Fully Developed Claim?
The Fully Developed Claims (FDC) program is an optional initiative that offers Veterans and survivors faster decisions from VA on compensation, pension, and survivor benefit claims.
Veterans and survivors simply submit all relevant records in their possession, and those records which are easily obtainable, such as private medical records, at the time they make their claim and certify that they have no further evidence to submit. VA can then review and process the claim more quickly.
The Decision Ready Claims (DRC) Program is the fastest way to get your VA claim processed. You can get a decision on your claim in 30 days or less by working with an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) or other accredited representative.
1967 - 1970
Do You Owe VA Money???
VA Benefits for Your Child
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers several benefits for the children of veterans:
(1) Education benefits
(2) Health care CHAMPVA
(3) Life insurance
(4) Memorial benefits
There are 3 Great Lies,
it's been said...
1) Of course I'll respect you in the
morning, darling.
2) The check is in the mail.
3) Hello, we're from the and
we're here to help you.
Everything America’s military veterans need to know
What is a VA loan?
Veterans Affairs mortgages, better known as VA loans, offer considerable benefits for eligible
military veterans, service members and spouses who want to buy a home. The main
draw of VA loans is that they make it easier to get financing by offering no down-payment
loans and more lenient credit and income requirements than conventional mortgages.